Q&A with Jessica Zamora, running for Poudre School District Board of Education District G
Name: Jessica Zamora
Race: Poudre School District Board of Education District G
Question: Why are you interested in running for a seat on the Board of Education and what are your qualifications?
Answer: As a career educator, current parent of two PSD students, and current PSD school board director, I want to continue to see PSD thrive. I am running because it is essential that our board directors protect the phenomenal work that staff do for students every day. Our system continues to provide new connections to students' passions and future readiness opportunities, which only happens when we remain focused on students first.
Q: What is the biggest issue facing the school district, and, if elected, how would you address it?
A: Building district-level trust and involvement is the biggest issue we face. Our community needs to have buy-in to the collective and site-based solutions as we grapple with enrollment shifts, air-conditioning needs and strategic plan implementation. We will have challenging conversations in the years ahead. To do the work of PSD equitably and responsibly, we need our community to recognize the why behind the need. It’s our job as board directors to earn trust. We have to provide ample opportunities for community engagement that allow for authentic input before decisions are finalized.
Q: How do you define parental rights as it pertains to public education? What level of input should parents/guardians have in curriculum selection and content?
A: Parents have a right to know what is taught in schools and the opportunity to provide input during the selection process of new curricula — as we’re doing now and have done in the past. Parents have the opportunity to opt-out of curriculum that conflicts with their families’ values; however, they should not have the right to dictate the access of other students. Our educators are professionals with ample expertise — I trust them to select high-quality, age-appropriate curriculum for our district at large.
Q: Learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools switched to remote and hybrid instruction, is significant across the nation. What should the school district be doing to close that gap?
A: PSD has already made great strides in closing the gap and has outpaced much of Colorado. Educators bring students to grade level with their expert instruction, adoption of high-quality curriculum and targeted support. We also know that when students' needs are met, they are capable of learning challenging content faster. Our community continues to meet students’ needs through providing free meals, adding student spaces like TAC 212 and connecting learning to students' interests through partnerships. For PSD, meeting the needs of students is a community effort and recovering from students’ learning loss is a community success.
Q: As our average temperatures in Colorado continue to rise, should all schools have central air-conditioning? If not, why? If so, how should adding it to those without be funded?
A: Yes, all schools need air conditioning. Temperatures will continue to rise, causing schools to become less conducive to learning over time during our hottest months. Adding air conditioning to all schools will require added funding through a bond or debt-free mill.
Q: We are in a high-growth area that will continue to require the building of new schools. What steps should the school district take to ensure equity among students in both old and new facilities?
A: With any new ballot measure to build a new school, we must consider and include the needs of older buildings. I love the character and warmth of our older schools and want to keep their charm, while also incorporating features of our new building, such as outdoor learning spaces and replacing broken furniture with new. Equity for students would require including funding in ballot measures that addresses the maintenance and improvement of older schools. While our last bond incorporated some money for urgent needs in older school buildings, it did not go far enough to provide equity amongst schools.
Q: Given the rising cost of living in Northern Colorado, what steps should be taken to ensure the district is able to attract and retain the best teachers, administrators and district leaders?
A: Northern Colorado continues to be a beautiful place to live. However, Colorado ranks low both in affordability and school funding, which means our school districts can’t pay staff enough to afford the rising cost of living. Until we as a state fix our funding model, our school board can support city, county and state initiatives that develop affordable housing and encourage specific measures that provide housing opportunities for district staff. We can also continue to lobby our state legislature to improve the school funding model and remove unfunded mandates for education.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Q&A with Jessica Zamora, running for PSD Board of Education District G
